Question

The distance between base pairs in the double helix structure of DNA is 0.34 nm. Calculate the length in centimeters (cm) of a human chromosome that has 100,000,000 base pairs. Report your answer to one decimal place.

A) 34.0 cm
B) 3.4 cm
C) 340.0 cm
D) 34.00 cm

Answer 1

The length of a human chromosome with 100,000,000 base pairs is approximately 340.0 cm.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks to calculate the length of a human chromosome in centimeters (cm) given that there are 100,000,000 base pairs and the distance between each base pair in the double helix structure of DNA is 0.34 nanometers (nm).

To calculate the length of a human chromosome with 100,000,000 base pairs, we can multiply the number of base pairs by the distance between them: 100,000,000 base pairs × 0.34 nm = 34,000,000,000 nm. To convert this to centimeters, we divide by 10 to get 3,400,000,000 cm. Rounding to one decimal place, the length of the human chromosome would be approximately 340.0 cm (option C).